With gas prices on the rise, local police officers and convenience store owners are concerned about an abundance of gasoline being stolen.
According to the Daily Fuel Gauge Report Web site, the average price for unleaded gas in Texas is $1.83 and diesel is $1.95 per gallon. These prices are approximately $0.08 lower than the national gas price.
The current gas prices in Texas are nearly $0.30 higher than they were one year ago, according to the Web site.
Mayu Mirza, owner of a Chevron convenience store, said his store has numerous drive-offs, possibly because of the increased gas prices. He said the store takes precautions to decrease the likelihood of gas being stolen.
"(We) turn the pumps on and have a pay at the pump system," he said. "If anything looks too suspicious, we don't turn on the pump."
Mirza said if he does see people stealing gas, he tries to get the license plate number and turn it in to the police. He said the store also has a list of repeat offenders and suspicious vehicles.
Sgt. Keith Woodard of the Lubbock Police Department said people caught stealing gas can be fined and have their driver's license suspended.
"(They) can get their license taken away by the DPS," he said. "(The punishment) depends on what evidence is available (and) the amount of gas stolen."
Woodward said if the amount of gas stolen adds up to less than $50, it would be considered a Class C misdemeanor. This would result in a fine of up to $1,500. In most cases, however, there is a $500 fine, he said.
If the amount of gas stolen were more than $50, it would be considered a Class B misdemeanor, which could result in a fine up to $2,000 and up to six months in jail, Woodard said.
Frank Mata, a Diamond Shamrock employee, said he can see a difference in the amount of people who drive off before paying for their gas when prices go up.
"Every time gas prices go up and at the beginning of school, more people try to steal gas," he said. "(We) don't know if it is the higher prices or if (people) are just pissed off."
Mata said the station's prices are reasonable, and every morning a Diamond Shamrock manager drives around to make sure predicted prices for the day are both comparable and competitive with other local gas stations. He said the store has surveillance cameras and reports people who steal from them.
"(We) have cameras and get their tag numbers turned into the police," he said. "If they get caught, it will (end up) costing them a lot of money."
Interim Chairman of Petroleum Engineering Lloyd Heinze said gas prices rise and fall because of their direct proportion to oil in the commodity markets.
"The point of having a commodity market, is so we can have some stability in prices," he said. "Commodity markets try to flatten the swing of prices."
Heinze said gas is a market driven commodity and its rise and fall is similar to the stock market. He said the public inadvertently decides the change of gas prices, because the price is based on what people believe the supply and demand is as opposed to what supply and demand is.
"(Prices) are based on what people think supply and demand is," he said. "This is true of any commodity."
Gas prices are slightly deceiving because of the hidden costs that are present at the gas pumps, and consumers are not always aware of the extra taxes added, Heinze said.
According to the Texas Gas Prices Web site, Texas adds an additional $0.20 per gallon to both unleaded and diesel gas prices.
To keep track of the daily gas prices around Texas, visit the Daily Fuel Gauge Report Web site, at www.fuelgaugereport.com.
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